David Lowell is an astrologer and detective who put his talents together to build The Starlight Detective Agency. He is highly intelligent and has honed his unconventional sleuthing skills to perfection. His likeable side-kicks include his secretary and gal Friday, Sarah; computer-savvy hacker, Mort; and his ever faithful bodyguard, Andy.

Lowell’s daughter Melinda is a young defense attorney. When one of her clients, loud-mouth bartender Johnny Colbert, is arrested for the murder of a beautiful New York City judge, Johnny strongly insists she did not commit the crime. After her client is attacked and almost killed while in prison awaiting trial, Melinda seeks out her father for help.

Lowell quickly puts his crew to work while he spends many hours reviewing his astrological charts, particularly birth charts, in order to find who really killed the popular judge. He also seeks to find out why Johnny Colbert has been chosen to take the fall for a crime it looks like she might not have committed.

The deeper he delves into the murder mystery, the more aggressive tactics he finds he must take to protect himself and his loved ones from someone who is targeting everyone who has contact with the suspect.

Murder in the 11th House was written by Mitchell Scott Lewis, and is the first novel in what could be one of the best new mystery series in years. The author has also been a practicing astrologer and teacher in New York City for over 20 years. His experience shines throughout this novel.

Lewis has written a compelling mystery using New York City for various scenes that help the story come alive. With that great metropolis as a backdrop and one of the best casts of characters in quite a while, the author has set up the astrological detective mystery series for a long run.

Murder in the 11th House really is one of those books that is difficult to put down. It is a page-turner that will have readers marveling at what important part astrology can play in one's behavior and in his or her life.

Readers will enjoy the challenging whodunit, especially because the author has deftly saved the reveal to the very end. After enjoying this engaging story, readers will certainly look forward to the detective’s next adventure.

A special thank you goes to Poisoned Pen Press for providing a complimentary copy of Murder in the 11th House for review on Bella Online Mystery Books. If you are interested in obtaining your own copy, the book is available on Amazon.com.